Employee Injury Prevention

Many times an accident can be prevented by routine maintenance. When it is discovered that the carpet is loose, a rubber bumper has come off a metal corner or perhaps a wheel may seem a little wobbly then it is time that quick action is taken to prevent any further damage to the object as well is a step in employee injury prevention. Every employer is responsible for their employee's well-being and should supply and provide everything possible to protect the employee from harm while doing their job.

It takes less time and effort for the upkeep than it does to fix something. Maintenance may seem more time-consuming and more costly but if the maintenance is not done it is very possible an accident will occur in time. If an accident occurs, the downtime for both the equipment and the loss of the employee can be very costly to the employer. Equipment parts may be hard to find or special order only; the employee, depending upon the seriousness of the injury, could be off work for a lengthy period of time. The loss of equipment and an employee will slow down production which reduces the company's financial bottom line.

Equipment failure and injury to an employee may seem extreme, but it occurs more often than one might think. The old adage is true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) which is a division of the United States Department of Labor provides each employer with information and training on current laws and procedures that are necessary to protect their employees.

The standards, which are reviewed and updated annually and set by OSHA, affect every type of job imaginable. There are employee injury prevention measures for the industries that work with blood borne pathogens, occupational noise exposure, hazardous waste operations and emergency response and those that work around open working surfaces. Proper maintenance, safeguards, operational features for escape routes, emergency action and fire prevention plans, are just some of the aspects of employee injury prevention measure that OSHA sets for employers to follow.

There are a number of precautionary steps that an employer can take in the employee injury prevention process. For those who work in offices, the prevention would be less complex; checking the fire and sprinkler systems, the walkways are kept clear, surprise emergency drills are given and CPR lessons can be offered. If an employee notices that something may be faulty, they should inform their direct supervisor or manager immediately.

Understanding that simple mistakes can cost the employer as well as the employee time, money and their health it makes sense to ensure that there is employee injury prevention steps taken for the greater good of all involved. Following through with the preset guidelines and standards that OSHA sets is beneficial to all. More information about employee injury prevention can be found at the OSHA website of osha.gov or contacting your employers Health and Safety manager.

The Whitten Law Firm represents clients statewide in the area of workers' compensation. The firm has handled thousands of cases throughout Oklahoma for more than twenty years. Whitten Law has a team of highly skilled Oklahoma workers' compensation lawyers who aggressively handle each claim from start to finish. Each case is handled by an attorney, not a legal assistant, and are never bounced around from attorney-to-attorney within the firm. If you are an employer or third party administrator, visit the Whitten Law website at: WhittenLaw.com for more information about your workers compensation rights.